The invention relates to electronic resumxc3xa9 storage and retrieval systems and methods.
Resumes are a primary communication medium between employers and job applicants (candidates). Employers annually spend billions of dollars to solicit resumxc3xa9s using newspaper advertisements, job fairs, college recruitment seminars, and other methods. In response, job applicants spend billions more to compose, typeset, print, and ship those resumxc3xa9s.
Unfortunately, present resumxc3xa9 delivery practices are expensive and frustrating for job applicants. Identifying potential employers, obtaining addresses, producing resumxc3xa9s for each, and finally delivering them is burdensome and time-consuming. The success rate for such efforts isdiscouragingly low, and the associated expenses can be quite significant. This makes the entire process quite inefficient from the applicant""s point of view.
Employers, too, suffer from the inefficiencies of resumxc3xa9 collection and handling. The solicitation, receipt, storage, management, search, and retrieval of dozens, hundreds, and in some cases thousands of resumxc3xa9s can be a difficult, unwieldy, and expensive burden on the employer. Physical, paper-based resumxc3xa9s are often stored in desk drawers and filing cabinets. The numerous limitations of present resumxc3xa9 practices include consumption of substantial physical space; difficulty in searching through large quantities of paper documents; the near-impossibility of correlating applicants whose resumxc3xa9s may vary widely in organization, content, and clarity; and the lack of uniformity in the search process from one practitioner to another.
From the above discussion, it is clear that a very significant need exists for an improved method of resumxc3xa9 solicitation, sorting, delivery, handling, and management. Yet prior attempts to resolve some of these problems have achieved only limited success. Document scanners have been used in some attempts to reduce the physical space consumed by physical resumxc3xa9s. However, search methods do not work well on scanned images because scanned resumxc3xa9s are stored as pictures, not searchable words or text.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) has been used in some attempts to convert paper-based resumxc3xa9s to pure text. However, employers are typically unwilling to forgo the traditional resumxc3xa9 because of the widely held belief that the ability to review the format, style, and presentation of the resumxc3xa9 itself is of value.
Still other attempts have employed the aforementioned OCR conversion to allow the use of xe2x80x9ckeywordxe2x80x9d search methods on the resulting text of full resumxc3xa9s, in an attempt to find those which contain key words or phrases. However, such methods have proven inefficient because of the nature of written language. As just one example, an employer seeking applicants residing in the state of Indiana will find numerous false matches when searching with the standard postal service abbreviation xe2x80x9cINxe2x80x9d. The letter pair xe2x80x9cinxe2x80x9d appears frequently in the English language (many times in this sentence alone), yet most such matches in the full text of a resumxc3xa9 would have little or nothing to do with the searcher""s true intent.
A further difficulty with xe2x80x9ckeywordxe2x80x9d search methods is the requirement that the words or phrases in question must match with near-perfect accuracy. The diversity of job applicant writing skills and vocabularies causes many resumxc3xa9s, which otherwise might describe applicants with similar attributes, to be written using very different terms and phrases. Such wide variation causes xe2x80x9ckeywordxe2x80x9d search methods to often erroneously exclude qualified applicantsxe2x80x94without notification to the searcherxe2x80x94while simultaneously including unqualified ones.
Prior attempts at applying computer technology to resumxc3xa9 management have been limited in scope, applicability, and usefulness. For example, many have been intended for use only by employers, employment specialists, or xe2x80x9cheadhunters.xe2x80x9d Job applicants themselves are completely excluded from accessing such systems.
One prior attempt, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,897 to Clark et al. (incorporated by reference), is illustrative. The first sentence of the prior art section of this patent describes the prior art as applying to xe2x80x9cemployment agencies (sometimes called search firms).xe2x80x9d The preferred embodiment section of the patent then describes a system designed for use by such agencies and firmsxe2x80x94without direct applicant involvement of any kind.
Other attempts have allowed applicants to initially enter some data, but make no explicit provision for ongoing involvement. Such a approaches can result in outdated information and questionable results.
Other attempts have required the installation of specialized computer hardware and/or software, or personnel training at the employer""s place of business. The difficulty in learning and using the system often effectively restricts access to just those who have been appropriately xe2x80x9ctrained.xe2x80x9d
Other attempts have incorporated rudimentary computer-based searching methods. The most common method involves the aforementioned xe2x80x9ckeywordxe2x80x9d searches on the contents of entire resumxc3xa9s, such as offered by Online Career Center, Indianapolis, Ind. and TMP Interactive, Framingham, Mass. The inherent limitations of such methods have already been discussed.
Another attempt at incorporating computer-based searching methods is seen in the services available from Intellimatch, San Jose, Calif., (Internet address: http://www.intellimatch.com). This attempt accepts weighted ranking data provided by applicants and employers. There are several disadvantages of this type of method: First, the user interface for interacting with such ranking systems can be complex, non-intuitive, unfamiliar, difficult to learn, and slow to operate. Second, there is no objective reference for ranking standardsxe2x80x94individual applicants are asked to rank themselves, leading to an extremely subjective collection of personal opinions. Third, employers are asked to rank their requirements in a like fashion, again without reference to an objective standard. Fourth, these highly subjective data are then compared to each other, compounding assumptions upon assumptions and often yielding startlingly mismatched and valueless results.
Another attempt at providing resumxc3xa9 services on the Internet is provided by Beverly Hills Software, 469 South Bedford Drive, Beverly Hills, Calif. 90212, (Internet address: http://www.Bhs.Com). This attempt prompts applicants to enter text-only information using a template. However, keyword searches still involve searching the entire contents of resumxc3xa9 data; no searching by fields is available. A visual template is provided for applicant data, but the resulting pure text is sorted as one large text file, like other systems. There is also no provision for charging or collecting fees.
Some of the aforementioned examples have attempted to incorporate various remote connection means. Such remote methods have traditionally been limited to text-only resumxc3xa9 storage and keyword-based searches of the full resumxc3xa9 text. None have succeeded in addressing all of the problems described above.
The invention provides a method of and apparatus for storage and retrieval of resumxc3xa9 images in a manner which preserves the appearance, organization, and information content of the original document.
One embodiment of the invention provides a method of and apparatus for storing formatted summaries or xe2x80x9coutlinesxe2x80x9d of resumxc3xa9 images, and efficient searching and subsequent selection of the resumxc3xa9 outlines and their associated resumxc3xa9 images.
One embodiment of the invention provides a user interface for creating the aforementioned resumxc3xa9 outlines which is based on a familiar paper-based method already in common use, thus reducing the training required to effectively use the system.
One embodiment of the invention provides a method of and apparatus for computer-assisted searching of the aforementioned stored resumxc3xa9 outlines in a manner which minimizes the need for specialized equipment and training. In one embodiment, such searches can be suspended, and resumed at a later time.
One embodiment of the invention provides a method of and apparatus for enabling the automatic and continuous execution of the searches through resumxc3xa9 outlines, thereby determining when a potentially qualifying applicant has entered their resumxc3xa9 outline and resumxc3xa9 image and enabling employers to be automatically notified thereof.
One embodiment of the invention provides a method of and apparatus for coordinating the terminology and vocabulary used by applicants and potential employers in the entry and searching of the aforementioned resumxc3xa9 outlines.
One embodiment of the invention provides a method of and apparatus for the controlled expansion of the terminology and vocabulary used by applicants and potential employers in the entry of and searching of the aforementioned resumxc3xa9 outlines.
One embodiment of the invention employs modern communications systems, such as the Internet, the xe2x80x9cWorld Wide Webxe2x80x9d, or other commercial xe2x80x9cconnectivity servicesxe2x80x9d, for applicant submission of outlines or resumxc3xa9 images, or employer searches through outlines or viewing of resumxc3xa9 images.
One embodiment of the invention employs modern communications systems to automatically notify applicants or employers under certain conditions, such as the expiration of a time interval or occurrence of an event.
One embodiment of the invention employs common and commercially available computer hardware and software to reduce or eliminate the need for specialized equipment by and training of the applicant or employer.
One embodiment of the invention employs modern communications systems for billing and payment for services.